Independent participatory media for Iran

A Tehran court has announced that Amaneh Bahrami, the victim of acid-throwing who recently decided to forego the ghesas sentence of her assailant, is no longer eligible to receive any monetary compensation.

The Shargh daily newspaper reports: “Amaneh says she has foregone the ghesas ruling but wants to get the dieh (monetary compensation), but they say the minutes indicate that she has completely forgiven the crime.”

Shargh reports that Bahrami has rejected the veracity of the minutes, but officials have responded that the case is finalized. Bahrami has claimed, however, that she was not told what was written in the minutes, and since she was blinded by her assailant, she was not able to read for herself.

Amaneh Bahrami was sprayed with acid seven years ago by Majid Movahed, after she turned down his marriage proposal. The attack left Bahrami’s face severely disfigured and both eyes were blinded.

Movahed has been sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years exile by the state.

Bahrami had called for a ghesas ruling in his case, which, according to Sharia law, calls for the assailant to receive the exact same injury that he has inflicted. The ruling had been approved, and Movahed was to be blinded in the eyes with acid in a hospital. However, at the last minute, Bahrami decided to forego the ghesas.

She had said, however, that she still wants the $200,000 compensation for medical treatment.